For many years, dolls have been created which are intended to simulate various activities of babies or young children. In addition, many dolls have been created which provide play patterns including various human functions such as eating, sleeping, crying and the like. An additional type of doll created to amuse and educate young children is that in which various physiological activities such as heartbeat or the like are simulated.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,155,196 issued to Bollinger, et al. sets forth a PLAY METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING A HEARTBEAT-LIKE SOUND in which a toy stethoscope includes a probe containing therein a normally open reed switch which is closed to produce a heartbeat-like sound when the probe is near a magnet embedded within the doll body.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,605,380 issued to Camm, et al. sets forth a HEARTBEAT DOLL having a solenoid activated mechanism driven by a pulse generator which cause a plunger to strike the inner chest wall of the doll and produce a simulated heartbeat. In an alternate embodiment, a temperature sensor is mounted on a surface portion of the doll to control the pulse rate generator.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,166,337 issued to Kosicki, et al. sets forth a DOLL WITH HEARTBEAT SIMULATOR having a hollow cavity within the doll body which supports a motor driven plunger. A sounding cavity within the doll body supports a diaphragm coupled to the motor driven plunger such that the diaphragm is moved under the urging of the plunger motion to provide the simulation of heartbeat movement and sound.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,137,092 issued to Salerno sets forth a MECHANISM FOR SIMULATING SOUNDS AND VIBRATIONS OF A HEARTBEAT in which a housing supports a motor driven cogged wheel together with a pair of pivotally mounted sounding arms. The cogged wheels pivots the arms as the cogs move past the end portions of the arms. A return spring causes the displaced arms to return rapidly against a sound element to produce a heartbeat sound.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,629 issued to Voights sets forth a PALPITATION AND AUSCULATATION TEACHING METHOD AND APPARATUS which simulates the fetus in a pregnant female. A cushion pouch receives a fetal size doll and includes means for securing to a female model to simulate pregnancy. Means are provided for producing heartbeat sounds and other fetal responses with the intention of providing a convenient means for practicing fetal examination.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,822,486 issued to Knapp, et al. sets forth DYNAMIC CHILDBIRTH SIMULATOR FOR TEACHING MATERNITY PATIENT CARE including a life-size mannequin configured to replicate a pregnant human female. A fetal doll is received within the simulated pregnant female which produces simulated heartbeats and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,149,687 issued to Nunemacher sets forth a BABY POUCH in which a fabric configured to receive an upright infant includes a plurality of support straps for use by a person carrying an infant in securing the baby pouch to the front torso of the wearer.
While the foregoing described devices have provided some increase in the realism of heartbeat related activities for dolls and the like, there remains a continuing need in the art for evermore improved and more interesting and amusing types of dolls and doll playsets.